The present disclosure relates to a tool apparatus, system associated with the apparatus, and method of using the apparatus and the system for use in attaching fasteners and other tool operations. For example, one application of this disclosure would be to provide a tool, system and method for attaching lug nuts to secure a wheel to a vehicle.
By way of background, a fastening system may require tightening components such as a nut and bolt in a threaded fastening system, to a desired force or torque or within a desired torque range. Securing the fastening components at a desired torque setting allows for secure attachment of the components and any structures related thereto without under-tightening or over-tightening the components. Under-tightening the components could result in disengagement of the components. Over-tightening the components could make disengaging the components difficult or could cause damage to the components. To prevent under-tightening or over-tightening a torque measurement can be made while tightening the components, for example, a nut to a bolt, to meet a target torque setting or to apply a torque within a desired torque range.
With reference to a more specific example, a lug nut is attached to a bolt on a vehicle axle to mount the wheel to the vehicle. In this example, a vehicle such as a car may have four or five mounting bolts for mounting the wheel to the car. The wheel fits over the mounting bolts and the lug nuts are attached to the mounting bolts. It is desirable to prevent under-tightening so as to prevent disengagement of the lug nuts from the bolts. It is desirable to prevent over-tightening so that the lug nuts can be disengaged at some time in the future and to prevent damage to the nut and bolt structure such as preventing “stripping” of the threads between the nut and bolt.